Means for elevating and supporting the roofs of barracks



(No Model.)

O. H. THOMAS.

MEANS FOR ELEVAT-ING AND SUPPORTING THE R0058 OPBARRAGKS.

No. 392,764. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

UNITED STATES f 'aifnivfr @rrrcri.

Cl IARLES Ill. THOlifAS, OF HANCOCK, WISCONSIN.

MEANS FOR ELEVATING AND SUPPORTING THE ROOFS 0F BARRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,764, dated November13,1888.

Application filed August 9, 1388. Serial No. 2:32.318. (No model.)

To aZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cunnnns H. THOMAS, of Hancock, in the county of\Vaushara and State of \Visconsin, have invented a new and useful Devicefor Elevating and Supporting the Roof of Barracks; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of saidinvention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

The device which Ihaveinvented is adapted for raising and supporting theroof of a barracks, which is that kind of a temporary structure used byfarmers for protecting hay or grain to a certain extent from theweatheigand is usually constructed with four corner-posts and a movableroof, adapted to be raised and lowcred on the posts as the inclosedspace is being filled or deprived of hay or grain. Heretofore it hasbeen common to raise the roof by a direct lift or by some temporarylever placed directly under the roof, and to support the roof by meansof long pins thrust through the posts under the corners of the roof.

The construction and object of my invention will be clearly understoodby the following description;

In the drawings, Figure l. is a perspective view of a barracks withwhich may be seen a part of my newly-invented device. Fig. 2 is a viewof one post and a part of the frame of the barracks with my improveddevice in connection therewith. Fig. 3 isaview of the same device andparts of the barracks, as shown in Fig. 2, but at right angles thereto.Fig. 4 is a plan of the elevating part of my device. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal cross'section of one post and a corner of the frame of thebarracks on the under side, showing the method of attaching mygravity-latch to the frame. Fig. 6 is a form in cross-section of thepost and frame with a snppporting-pin, as commonly used. Fig. 7 is aView of the elevating part of my device attached to the post, showingthe method of its use in connection with asupporting-pin. Fig. 8 is amodified form of the clutch or pawl.

The same letters refer to like parts in all the views.

The barracks are commonly constructed of four upright posts, A A, set inthe ground at the four corners of a square or rectangular space, uponwhich posts a roof, B, is supported, and so builtabouttheposts at itscorners as to be movable up and down on the posts. The supporting frameor sills of the roof are four strips of timbenG O,fastcned together attheir ends, forming a corner at and outside of the posts A A,and arestiffened and braced by the cross pieces or braces D D,secured at eachend to the sills G 0 across the corner on the inside of the post. Uponthese sills and braces are supported the rafters E and the roof-boardsFF. Cross-beams G G are also commonly used for strengthening the roof.

It has been common heretofore to raise the roof and support it ontheposts by means of pins H H. thrust diagonally through holes thereforin the posts underneath the corners of the roof.

In my improved device I is a lever pivoted in the bifurcate end of apawl, K, and provided at one end with a thereto pivoted arm, L. A.grappling-hook,M, is hinged or looped at its inner end to the bolt thatpasses through the lever I and pawl K, which serves to pivot the leveron the pawl. At its outer end this hook is provided with a spur, N,adapted to enter the wood of which the post is constructed, whereby thelever and pawl are clasped to the post and held in position. The lowerfree end of the pawl K is adapted to engage in a notch, O, in the postA, a series of which notches are provided on the side of each post, andfor durability these notches are preferably lined with or constructed ofa strip ofiron, P, which is secured to the post by belts or screws QQ.The arm L is provided with a rigid laterally-projecting bracket, 1%,which is adapted to bear against the outer face of the post and resistany horizontally-inward move ment of the lover I. A gravity-latch, S,pro vided with a weighted handle or knob, T, is pivoted at its upper endin a bracket, U, secured to the under side of a brace, D, or preferablyto a block, V, which block is inserted between the brace D and sill C,and rigidly secured thereto. This latch is pendent from the bracket U,in which it is pivoted, and is so constructed and attached to the underside of the roof that by gravity its free end engages in the notches O0. It may be readily released from these notches when the roof is liftedby taking hold of the weight-knob T.

It will be understood that by putting the free end of the pawl K in oneof the notches O and bringing the grappling-hook M about the post, so asto engage with it, and turning the arm L upward against the under sideof the sill O, as shown in Fig. 2, by bearing down on the free outer endof the lever I the roof will be raised somewhat and the latch S willengage with a higher notch,and that then by releasing the grapple M andraising the pawl K into ahigher notch, and again bearing down on thelever, the roof will be still farther raised, which process beingrepeated the roof can be raised as high as desired. This process shouldbe proceeded with at each corner of the roof in rotation about thebarracks, so as to raise the roof as regularly as possible,if only onelever device is used. Fig. Sshows a modified form of pawl, the lower endof which is constructed so as to act as a spur to enter or engage withthe post when no notches O O are provided for supporting the pawl, andthis part of the device so constructed can be used in connection with apost having no notches and for raising a roof which is to be supportedwhen raised by the old-fashioned pins H H. The lower end of this paw] issharp and may have two or three spurs or ends, as desired. As thegrapple M and bracket R are both intended, to a certain extent, to holdthe lever I and arm L up to their work, and as they both, to a certainextent, accomplish the same result, the device may be used without oneor the other of them; but I preferably use both.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a device for elevating and supporting the roof ofa barracks, of a lever, I, pawl K, on which the lever is pivoted, agrappling-hook, M, connected to the lever I, and an arm, L,pivoted tothe lever I, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a lever, I, and pawl K with an arm, L, and bracketR, substan tially as described.

3. The combination of a lever, I, pawl K, grappling-hook M, and arm Lwith a post,A., provided with a series of notches, O 0, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of a lever, I, pawl K, on which the lever I ispivoted, and a swing ing arm, L, with the roofof abarracks,having agravity-latch, S,hinged thereto and pendent therefrom, and a barrackspost, A, provided with a series of notches, O O, substantially asdescribed.

5. Alever, I, pawl K, on which the lever I is pivoted, grappling-hook M,secured to the lever I, and swinging arm L, in combination with the roofof a barracks, a gravity-latch, S, hinged to and pendent from said roof,and barracks-post A, provided with a series of notches, O O,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

H. E. HIRST, FRED RAWSON.

